Street musician lights up City Sports Bar

HARARE - Daniel Gonora, a visually-impaired artiste, who regularly performs on the streets of Harare using makeshift musical instruments, thrilled music fans who thronged the City Sports Bar’s weekly Monday Jam Session.

Gonora — a former member of the once famous Jairos Jiri Band -— delivered a sterling performance with the help of his two sons Isaac, 13, and Blessed, 17. He performed songs such as Pfumo Mudenga and Muramu.

The Monday Jam Session gig was Gonora’s first formal gig since his participation in the 21st February Movement gig held in Chipinge in 2012 after he had been invited by former Information minister Webster Shamu.

The former Jairos Jiri guitarist and vocalist is convinced that his City Sports Bar performance will convince music promoters to offer him more gigs.

“I hope the opportunity we got tonight is the beginning of more to come. When people see us performing on the streets they wrongly assume that we would be begging for food.

“That is not the case because we will be looking for funding to help us take our music forward. I am not new in the showbiz but without money you are limited,” he told the Daily News.

City Sports Bar manager Yasin Dhala told the Daily News that his club will give Gonora some gigs whenever possible.

“He proved that he is good on stage tonight and fans turned out in numbers to support him. We shall continue giving him this platform. We hope he will use this platform to build his own fan base just like other artistes have done,” said Dhala.

Gonora began his music journey in 1994 when he joined the now- defunct Jairos Jiri Band which also churned out music stars like the late Paul Matavire of the Hit Machine and Chamunorwa Nebeta the founder of Glare Express.

To date, Gonora has released four albums namely Rwendo Rweupenyu, Gapu Remusanganiswa, Wawacha and Shoko Harivhikwi.

On Monday night Gonora shared the stage with Simon Mutambi, Andy Muridzo and Nyasha among others.

We are an African Music and Dance Festival in British Columbia Canada. We are really interested in Gonora and his Family Band per the video. We would like to work with them in our festival this year or next. Please email us their information. Patrick U Onukwulu, Artistic/Managing Director FAHMADS BC

Patrick U Onukwulu - 6 May 2016

thank you thank you

joe whiteman - 8 May 2016

muchas gracias excelent, saw them on PFC FB page

Michael Johnson - 18 May 2016

thank you

sung chung - 2 June 2016

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